Saline County is expanding community outreach through off-site commission meetings while moving forward on a major facility renovation on Prescott Avenue, County Administrator Matt Stiles said Thursday on the KSAL Morning News Extra.

To make local government more accessible to rural residents, the Saline County Commission recently began holding select meetings outside of Salina. Because regular commission meetings take place at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesdays—a time that prevents many residents from attending—the county hosted its first roadshow meeting in Gypsum at the end of October.

Stiles said the inaugural off-site session drew strong engagement from residents who often feel overshadowed by Salina, which accounts for roughly 85% of the county’s population. Discussions in Gypsum centered on several local topics:

• Library System Exit: Gypsum and Salina public library officials discussed ongoing efforts to leave the Central Kansas Library System so local tax dollars remain within Saline County rather than subsidizing libraries in neighboring counties.

• Fire District Consolidation: City officials and Rural Fire District No. 1 reviewed plans to collapse Gypsum’s municipal fire department into the rural district, which already operates a station directly across the street.

• Feral Cats: Residents raised concerns over a stray cat population—a topic lighter in tone that briefly featured a white cat wandering through the meeting room, earning the title of the commission’s unofficial roadshow mascot.

Following the positive reception in Gypsum, the commission plans to take future meetings, probably next in either Assaria or Brookville.

Back in Salina, county leadership is also making steady progress on the Prescott building renovation project, which will eventually house the county’s Health Department, administration, and human resources offices.

After working through initial delays in finalizing contracts, the commission approved the project’s agreements on Tuesday. Hutton is serving as the construction manager for the facility.

Looking ahead to early 2027, Stiles noted that the county will welcome two newly elected commissioners, giving women a three-to-two majority on the board for the first time in Saline County’s history. The incoming board will kick off the new year with strategic planning sessions before diving into the next budget cycle.